Laundry ironing and pressing machine



Julyl, 1930. A. H. ADAMS vLAUNDRY IRONING AND PRESSING- MACHINE Filed April 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ARTHuR H. ADAMS,

ATTORNEY July 1, 1930. A. H. ADAMS LAUNDRY IRONING AND PRESSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1928 ARTHuR H. HOAMS V INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 1, 1930:

UNITED STATES-PATENT AB'I'HUR H. ADAMS, OF, LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TROY LAUNDRY -HA- GHINERY COMZPANY, INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF IDELAW'AIRE LAUNDRY IRONING AND PRESSING MACHINE Applicationfiled April 12,

This invention relates to laundry apparatus and in particular to methods and apparatus for simultaneously drying and ironing, or pressing, garments. l

The invention is particularly adapted to those machines employing a current of heated air or steam for drying the garments concurrently with the ironing or pressing operations. In one of its aspects the invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the type of ironing machine disclosed in copending application Serial No. 249,683, filed January 26, 1928. In said applicationthere is shown an ironing machine having a resiliently padded ironing roll of the open work type which cooperates with a highly efiicient heating chest. By means of the non-absorbent constitution of the resilient padding shown in said application, there is suflicient heat transmitted from the chest to the garments to evaporate the moisture therein contained which is thereupon free to pass to the interior of the roll. The present invention contemplates the employment of a similar padded roll in conjunction with a heatlng chest of the general structure disclosed in said application. However, in accordance with the present invention a heating chest is provided whereby the steam or vapors liberated from the moist garments may be caused either.

to travel to the interior of the roll or through the surface of the heating chest. In accordance with one phase of the invention the garments are simultaneously ironed and dried by means of a continuous supply of heated air which passes in a complete circuit through one of the ironing elements, through the garments, and also through the other of the ironing elements. Accordingly, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a pressing or ironing machine in which the garments are pressed or ironed and at the same time are subjected to a continuous circuit of heated air. v

A feature of the invention is to provide an ironing elements between which the garments are to be simultaneously ironedand dried, to- 6.0 gether with means for creating a continuous 1928. Serial 1T0. 269,581.

circuit of drying mediu'rn through the two elements; w

. A further feature of the invention resides in an ironing or pressing machineemploying laundry machine in which the pressing or ironing elements have relative lateral movements with respect to each other together with means for preventing damage to the garments between the moving surfaces due to the open work structure of said.- elements.

Another feature resides in the employment of a special form of mesh covering for foraminous presser elements toprevent damage to the garments while said elements are moving with respect to each other. This latter feature is attained by employing a form of woven wire mesh fabric coverlng with thewarp strands arranged in a particular direction with respect to the movement of the ironing or presser elements, so that said' covering presents a relatively smooth foraminous surface to the garments. Other'features and advantages will be apparent after a consideration of the following description and appended claims.

For the purpose of enabling a clear under- I standing to be attained of the manner of practicing the invention the same will be disclosed hereinafter as applied both to an ironing machine of the roller type and to a pressing machine of the movable jaw type.

Accordingly, Fig. l of the drawing shows a portion of a roller ironing machine employing a perforated heating chest provided with a coveringaccording to the invention. I

Fig. 1. is. a front view of one end of the roll of Fig. 1 showing the openwork structure thereof and the manner of supporting the springs on theroll. ironing machine with cooperating open work Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of theportion of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is'ainagnified'section of a portion of the chest covering.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the invention as applied to one of the bucks of a pressing machine.

Fig. 5 is another view of a portion of the buck of Fig. 4, showing the relation between the buck padding and the warp and weft elements of the pad covering.

Fig. 6 is an end view showing portions of a pressing machine embodying varlous features of the invention. This figure shows the'preferred use of the woven wire fabric coverin according to the invention, namely with said covering applied to the movable presser jaw, while the fixed jaw is covered with ordinary fabric.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown an open Work ironing roll preferably of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 269,852, filed Apr. 13, 1928. This roll comprises in the main a shaft 1 to which is suitably fastened the longitudinal hub 2. Hub 2 carries a plurality of radially disposed fins 3. The fins 3 are provided with helically staggered notches within which are seated the pad supporting members 4 which preferably consist of wire or metal strips arranged in double screw thread fashion around the outside of the fins. A convoluted skewed spring 5 is wrapped around the drum and supported by the adjacent members 4, as shown in Fig. 2. As represented by the numeral 6, one or more layers of finely woven wire mesh cloth are wrapped around the springs 5 to provide a more uniform ironing surface. For further detailed description of the structure and assembly of an ironing roll of this character reference may be had to application Serial No. 269,852 referred to hereinabove. As pointed out in said application, this type of roll and padding offers substantially no obstruction to the passage of steam or vapors therethrough and while this represents the preferred form of padded roll, any of the well known types may be employed to carry out one phase of the invention.

Suitably mounted in the framework of the machine and surrounding the lower portion of the roll is a heating chest preferably of the type disclosed in application Serial No.

249,683, filed January 26, 1928, said chest comprising the longitudinally extending side members 7 preferably of channel iron or similar material, which are joined together by suitable cross members 8 at various points throughout their length. Suitable enclosures may be provided for the ends of the steam chest and the bottom thereof may be enclosed by the sheet metal plate 9. Welded or fas tened in any convenient manner to the upper faces of the side members 7 and extending longitudinally thereof is a curved sheet metal plate 10 which is preferably perforated as indicated by the numerals 11 in Fig. 2. Plate 10, it will be understood, is given the proper curvature to correspond with that of the padded ironing roll with which it cooperates.

For the purpose of heating the plate 10 there is provided a heating unit comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending pipes 12, each pipe being welded at various points throughout its length directly to the plate 10 as indicated by the numeral 13. The pipes 12 are preferably of sufiicient size to provide the necessary heat inertia for the ironing face, as explained in application Serial No. 249,683 referred to hereinabove. While in Fig. l the heating pipes 12 are shown welded to the face 11 in the spaces between the rows of perforations, it will be understood that this is merely for the purpose of illustration and that the plate may be perforated in any de-. sired manner. The pipes may be heated by steam or other'heating fluid under ressure, or a continuous current of heating uid may be forced therethrough. It will be obvious therefore that, as the garments pass between the padded roll and the steam chest, any moisture that the garments contain will be immediately evaporated due to the efiicient manner of heating the plate 10, together with the fact that the resilient padding 5 is substantially of metal and non-absorbent. Consequently, this steam which is liberated from the garments will move without substantial obstruction to the interior of the roll and also through the perforations in the plate 10. As pointed out in the application referred to hereinabove, the ends of the ironing roll may be enclosed so that the steam which is liberated from the garments will be confined and further tend to keep the temperature of the padding high enough to prevent condensation. Instead of confining the evaporated moisture within the interior of the roll, the latter may be connected to suitable means for creating a gentle current of warm air to gradually remove the liberated steam as represented schematically by numeral 14. Thus the cool air may be drawn in through the inlet 14, whence it is heated by passing over the coils 12. This pre-heated air then passes through the perforations 11, thence through the garments being ironed, through the covering 6 and the padding 5 to the interior of the roll. It will be obvious, of course, that this current of air may be produced either by blowing or by suction, the essential idea being that a continuous current of preheated air is used during the ironing operation. Whilethis preheating has been accomplished by causing the current of air to pass over the heating coils 12, it will be understood that any supplementary heating device may be used to insure that the air is sufficiently warm to prevent condensation of the liberated moisture.

In order to prevent the garments from binding on theirpassage through the machine it has heretofore been the practice to employ endless-belts or the like and to provide the ironing facewithahigh olish in order that,

the garment may slide easily thereover, at the same that it, is being given the properfinish. However,.while the erfgrated plate shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may every smooth it is necessa when employing either. suction or air un er pressure to prevent the garments being vide a continuous smooth surface which is,

caught in the plate perforations. In accord-,

ance with the resentinvention; this disadvantage is obviated without curtailing the proper finishing of the'garments by prov dmg the plate 10 with a pervious covering 17 preferably of wire mesh fabric which has very little surface friction in the direction of rotation of the roll. It is preferable to employ for this purpose a special form of wire mesh fabric, a magnified portion of which is shown in Fig. 3. This fabric comprises transverse and longitudinal strands 15, 16 respectivel As shown, the strands are relatively widely separated while the strands 16 arerelatively close together, to provide a substantially continuous transverse surface,

whichis nevertheless foraminous due to the,

nature of the weave. In order that this fabric may have a minimum of surface friction in one direction, for example, in the longitudinal direction of strands 16, transverse strands 15 are preferably made from relatively hard wire while the-strands 16 are of relatively soft wire. ,The normal condition of the fabric is such that the strands 15 lie substantially in the same lane, while the strands 16 pass alternately a ve and below the strands 15 so that the strands 16 have their raised portions in substantially the same plane and pronevertheless, foraminous; While Fig. 3 shows a weave wherein the longitudinal strands 16 pass, above alternate transverse strands 15, it will understood that the longitudinal strands may be woven so that they pass alternately below and above sets of two or. morestrands 15. The woven fabric is fastened .to the plate 12 so'that its smooth direc- 1 tion, namely that longitudinally of strands p 16, is in the same direction as that of the rotation of the ironing roll, that is in the direction of travel of the garments through the ma chine, as represented bythe arrows-in Fig. 2.

Thus, the woven wire fabric serves the double purpose of providing a relatively smooth oraminous ironing surface for the garments and at the same time prevents the garments from being injured by any excessive heat which may be applied to the plate 11 from. the

ding comprisingadjacently disposed longitudmally exten ing skewed helical springs 19, 20,21, etc. As schematically represented in this figure alternate springs are wound in opposite directions and overlap each other to provide a substantiz'illy continuous resilient character of the springs '19, 20,21, and the manner of securing them to the basep18. A

covering 22 of the wire fabric shown in Fig.

3 covers the-entire padded area of the hue As set forth in applicat1on,Serial'N'-o.269,-

852 referred to hereinabove,becauseof thein-z I it is obvious that, as pressure is applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the buck, the padding is simultaneously com-' pressed and the surface thereof is subjected to a lateral displacement or creep in the direction of the arrows. Consequently, the garments being pressed'are subjected not only to a mechanical pressure between the presser clined or skewed characterof the springs .19 I

jaws but are at the same time given a slight wiping action. This wiping may be taken advantageof to provide a finish to the gar-I mcnts being pressed. I Fig. 6 shows a portion of a presser machine embodyin the various features of the invention. he movable presser head 23 is carried by a lever 24 and may be lowered into pressing relation with,

the fixed buck byany suitable power mechanism. The fixed buck comprises a hollow metal casting 25 to which is secured in any suitable manner the open-work base 26, the buck being mounted on a suitable support represented by the numeral 27. The openwork base 26 is provided with a resilient padding 28 ofthe type disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 and further described in application Serial No. 269,852. The padding 28 is provided with one or more layers 29 of fine wire mesh covering of ordinary weave which may be fastened to the base 26 in any suitable manner. The movable head 23 is provided with a perforated sheet metal face 30 to which are welded the heating coils 31 which are connected in any well known manner to a source of steam or other equivalent heating medium. The face 30 is provided with a covering 32 of the specially woven wire fabric shown in Fig. 3- and so disposed that the smooth direction thereof is in the direction of the lateral displacement ofthe adding 28 when the latter is compressed. he head 23 is connected by inlet 32' to a source of warm air, preferably under pressure, and like-wise the buck 25' is provided with an outlet 33 so that when the bucks are in engagement a continuous current of warm air. for drying circulates from the upper buck and through the garments to the lower buck. The garments are placed on the lower buck with that surface uppermost which is to be given the required finish, whereupon the head :23 is lowered and pressure applied to the garments. As the head 23 begins to press the garments the padding 2S is compressed and the garments are given a wiping effect against the covering 32 which as herelnabove pointed out is relatively smooth in the direction of this wiping action, and thereby imparts a gloss or finish to the garments simultaneously with the pressing and drying thereof.

While in the foregoing description specific apparatus has been disclosed for carrying out the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made Without departin g from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, while only one layer of spring padding is shown, any desired number of layers may be employed as set forth in application Serial No. 249,688 to give the requisite degree of resiliency and uniformity of ironing surface. Similarly while it is preferred that the special wire fabric be applied to only one of the cooperating pressing or ironing ele ments, it will be understood that the said fabric may be applied to either or both the elements. The essence of the invention resides in the use of foraminous ironing or pressing members having relative lateral movement and provided with a smooth pervious mesh covering which prevents the garments being damaged due to the foraminous structure of the presser elements, and also gives to the garments a finish approximating that obtained from a solid polished metal ironing surface. Furthermore, only those portions of an ironing or pressing machine have been shown in order to enable the invention to be clearly understood. Thus the press partially shown in Fig. 6 may take the form of any well known type of press preferably operated by power means.

lVhat I claim is:

'-1. In a laundry machine, a fixed ironing element, a movable ironing element adapted to exert a wiping action with respect to the fixed element, one of said elements having a foraminous face and a mesh covering for said foraminous face, said covering comprising a bearing surface mainly of wires running in the direction of the wiping movement of said movable element so that friction will be a minimum in that direction.

2. In combination in an ironing machine, an ironing element having an open work face, a resilient padding covering said face, a heating chest cooperating with said element, said padding adapted to exert a wiping action with respect to the heating chest, said chest having a foraminous face, and a wire mesh covering for said face, said covering having a substantially smooth surface in the direction of the wiping action.

3. In combination an ironing roll, a. heating chest having a perforated llODlIlg face,-

and a mesh covering for said face.

ments are-moving relatively to each other.

comprising a woven wire fabric having supporting wires and surface wires with the sur-v face wires arranged in the direction of rela tive movement of said members.

5. In combination, a first ironing element having a substantially incompressible pressing surface, a second ironing element having a non-absorbent resilient surface adapted to exert a wiping action on the first element when subjected by said first element to compression, and a flexible covering for said first element comprising bearing elements running in the direction of said wiping action for preventing damage tothe garments while subjected to said wiping action.

6. An ironing machine comprising an ironing roll, a heating chest cooperating with said roll, and a woven wire fabric covering the face of said chest, said fabric having supporting strands and surface strands with the surface strands of said fabric lying substantially parallel to a plane intersected at right angles by the roll axis.

7. A laundry ironing or pressing machine comprising an element having an open work face and a woven wire covering for said face, the said covering having transverse supporting strands and longitudinal surface strands whereby said covering has a substantially smooth surface in the direction of the longitudinal strands, and means for pressing material against said face and moving it in the direction of the longitudinal strands.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 9th day of April, 1928.

ARTHUR H. ADAMS. 

